1500 in the half ,1265 in the full according to sports stats. Did the full and my wife did the half ,other than starting the half too late both races existed together very nicely. After years of trying to support the failure that is Challenge Penticton we decided to go back to Ironman and were blown away by the venue and the crowds. With the new price structure, payment plan and registration deferral I would say the numbers are going to grow, also no CDIM will help. Definitely going back next year.
Explain to me the reasoning for Maryland? I understand the weather concerns, aka the weather has been crap the last two years, but those are two extremely abnormal occurances. Weather is weather and you can’'t predict it. This is one of the easiest courses on the circut. Flat and fast. With a great weather race this year, I’d expect the numbers for next year to bounce back to 2k
Pretty sure as well the climb out of Pemberton crushed people, myself included. Rumor I heard was two loops of the 70.3 course.
Explain to me the reasoning for Maryland? I understand the weather concerns, aka the weather has been crap the last two years, but those are two extremely abnormal occurances. Weather is weather and you can’'t predict it. This is one of the easiest courses on the circut. Flat and fast. With a great weather race this year, I’d expect the numbers for next year to bounce back to 2k
2015 was kind of a two-fer. The rescheduled date had shit weather too and resulted in a swim modification.
1250 or thereabouts i recall announced as full starters on start line. Looking at half results basically same. Total 2500
The venue may be part of the problem. It’s in the middle of nowhere. There’s not much for your family to do out there.
Lack of hotels in the vicinity. You pretty much have to drive 20-30 miles out if the few around the race site sells out. It’s not the easiest swim out there. It can be choppy with not so helpful current. The wind is a constant. People would rather deal with a little hill than to fight wind all day.
It’s also competing against Chatt and Louisville during the same time, for the same regional athletes.
Explain to me the reasoning for Maryland? I understand the weather concerns, aka the weather has been crap the last two years, but those are two extremely abnormal occurances. Weather is weather and you can’'t predict it. This is one of the easiest courses on the circut. Flat and fast. With a great weather race this year, I’d expect the numbers for next year to bounce back to 2k
There are some strong rumours Busselton, Australia may be in its last year.
Bummer. IMWA is a fantastic race.
Explain to me the reasoning for Maryland? I understand the weather concerns, aka the weather has been crap the last two years, but those are two extremely abnormal occurances. Weather is weather and you can’'t predict it. This is one of the easiest courses on the circut. Flat and fast. With a great weather race this year, I’d expect the numbers for next year to bounce back to 2k
But can you say, in general, bad weather isn’t a normal occurrence for Maryland? Two years in a row now, the race has been affected by weather. If something happens again this year, that’s a trend. After all, that is still hurricane season on the east coast.
I’m curious about this as well. I planned on doing the B2B full before they cancelled that and just kept the half distance, and Maryland worked out well for me and a buddy’s calendar. We’re registered but based on watching the last 2 years of shitty weather on this race I don’t have high hopes. Crossing my fingers that 3rd year is a charm, otherwise I could see this race dying with the low registration numbers right now.
Racine 70.3… but doubt it is on your (or anyone else’s) bucket list.
Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3
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I wonder if events, regardless of organiser, that aren’t fast or aren’t extreme in their difficulty are doomed. Seems like people what to be able to say:
I am fast because I did X race in X hours, orI am tough because I finished Y race.
Seems like a similar thing happened in the UK to running events. Lots have been cancelled in recent years and only ones that have survived or are thriving are those where:
It’s a fast course, so attracts lots of people chasing PBsIt’s really tough, and finishing it is the aim It lines up nicely as a prep race to one of the big events like London Marathon.
There was a local half marathon that had run for about 20 years and it was cancelled this year, it was quite a slow course because there are a number of hills, but it wasn’t that much of a challenge. Another organiser has created a new event on a much flatter quicker course in the same town which promises PBs, and it’s got a lot of registrations and will probably sell out.
Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3 I’m curious why you would suggest this one. Yeah, the swim was canx this year, but the truth is that IM saved the indie Gulf Coast Tri and they had about 1600 there this first year under the 70.3 brand. I don’t see it going away anytime soon.
The venue may be part of the problem. It’s in the middle of nowhere. There’s not much for your family to do out there.
Lack of hotels in the vicinity. You pretty much have to drive 20-30 miles out if the few around the race site sells out. It’s not the easiest swim out there. It can be choppy with not so helpful current. The wind is a constant. People would rather deal with a little hill than to fight wind all day.
It’s also competing against Chatt and Louisville during the same time, for the same regional athletes.
Explain to me the reasoning for Maryland? I understand the weather concerns, aka the weather has been crap the last two years, but those are two extremely abnormal occurances. Weather is weather and you can’'t predict it. This is one of the easiest courses on the circut. Flat and fast. With a great weather race this year, I’d expect the numbers for next year to bounce back to 2k
I’d agree to most of this other than the wind. Look at IMFL, windy as h*** but people will go there for a fast time. As for the weather I say look at Eagleman. One fo the best 70.3’s on the circut and in the same exact location. I honestly feel as if weather hadn’t been the issue the past two years this race wouldn’t be on this thread. IMMD is comparable to IMFL imo.
…people still signing up for MD??? Wow.
There were 300-400 that DNS this year. I also hear that they cancel the swim more often that not. Also, no pro purse that I can see.
After having done some race directing, I can understand how 2k is the minimum.
Until you reach a certain number of participants, the profit is zero… or even a loss.
Basic costs to run an mdot IM must be massive.
I imagine costs to run a race in the USA are a fair bit higher than Canada though.
I also put on a number of events. Our largest Oly is 900 and our largest half is 700. We do it with a core staff of 5-7 people (additionally we have timers, an announcer and venue water staff, as well as aid station volunteers and kayakers). Compared to the WTC events it’s a skeleton crew. For a half M-dot will show up with 30-40 employees in addition to contracted labor (these figures are a few years old, but can’t imagine they’ve changed much). From what I got from the CDA P&L was that there were profit floors that had some rather remarkable profit margin percentage targets. i.e. they would still make a hefty profit at 1200 athletes but it wouldn’t meet their internal targets (<-- my extrapolation).
#thanksprivateequity
There were 300-400 that DNS this year. I also hear that they cancel the swim more often that not. Also, no pro purse that I can see.
This was the 35th year of the Gulf Coast Tri and basically had almost as many DNS (which is still revenue to WTC) than the 34th edition had finishers. IM saved the race from extinction. WTC typically has a DNS rate of 10-15% at any race so that’s 200-300 people for a race that gets 2000. Whenever there is a swim canx, there are some first timers who will DNS on the spot because they want their first 70.3 or IM to be a “real” triathlon. I raced both IMFL 2014 (swim canx) and Gulf Coast Tri 2017 (swim canx) so my luck hasn’t been great, but this race is definitely not circling the drain no more than IMFL is.
By the way, the new Alaskaman race held last month had over 1/3 of the entered field DNS. Do you think it is going away?
From what I got from the CDA P&L was that there were profit floors that had some rather remarkable profit margin percentage targets. i.e. they would still make a hefty profit at 1200 athletes but it wouldn’t meet their internal targets (<-- my extrapolation).
#thanksprivateequity
I wonder how many greats races/venues has WTC taken over and then killed due to not meeting profit targets but otherwise would have continued under and independent RD?